Christopher Newport University, or CNU, is a liberal arts university located in Newport News, Virginia, United States. It was established in 1961 as a two-year school of the College of William and Mary. It became a four-year college in 1971, and a university in 1992. Former United States Senator Paul S. Trible, Jr., became President of CNU in 1996. In recent years, applications have gone up by more than 400 percent, and the students’ SAT average has increased by more than 200 points. Nearly 90 percent of CNU's faculty members hold the highest degree in their fields. The campus has been transformed by more than $400 million in capital construction. The institution is named after Christopher Newport, the leader of the expedition that brought the first English settlers to Jamestown.